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Tenet Draws the Low CardThe CIA head may have to take the blame for Iraq intelligence failure
George Tenet, the head of the Central Intelligence Agency, stepped up this week to take the blame for the misstatement that appeared in President Bush's State of the Union address in January. The statement was that "Iraq has recently attempted to purchase uranium from an African nation," which has since been identified as Niger. The claim was proven false when the documents that supported it were shown to be forgeries. The finger pointing has been intense. First, the President pointed at the CIA, who pointed at the NSA, who pointed to the British, who pointed ultimately at the French, and all the while the state department and defense department were pointing at each other, resulting in the unprecedented wave of pointing.
The President then nodded at his CIA director, who immediately understood that he would be shouldering the blame for what is being called the "Nigergate" scandal. The President announced that, as far as he was concerned, the matter was "closed." Hearing that, the major media outlets returned to their coverage of the Laci Peterson murder case. It is not known whther Tenet will have to forfeit his spot as head of the CIA. Some Republicans have expressed disapproval with Tenet, who was a holdover from the Clinton administration, and find it fitting that he has become the "fall guy" over Nigergate. |
For the last two weeks, the Bush administration has been hounded
by questions about exaggerations and fabrications concerning
Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. Now, it appears the White
House has a scapegoat for its problems.
The Inquisitor has learned that the matter was settled
the old-fashioned way. The President, Vice President Cheney,
National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice, Secratary of State
Colin Powell, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Tenet
gathered in the Nixon Gaming Room of the White House. Cheney
cut a deck of cards and each member of the group drew a card.
Tenet reportedly cursed when drawing the three of spades
while the others breathed a heavy sigh of relief.